A Bright Day for a Funeral
by Princess Claire Fey
Summary: The Deposed Princess Azula died as she lived, clawing for power in a world that had moved on from the war she was fighting. While her enemies celebrated and her past subjects breathed a sigh of relief, the only people who were ever close to her mourn her passing, lamenting what love they've just lost. (Femslash February)


It was an average Fire Nation day, warm and sunny. The occasional whisps of clouds in the sky, short-lived breezes that gave relief to the just-above-mild heat.

A good day.

And Ty Lee hated it.

Her aura was a mute, swirling aurora of black and brown, with the occasional sparks of blood red that came with Ty Lee's rare anger. She hated the fact that the weather was so nice, it was insulting, somehow, as though the spirits had decided to collectively laugh at what was happening today. As if it didn't matter to them.

In the brief dark moments where Ty Lee had imagined attending the funerals of her loved ones, she had imagined dark swirling clouds, pouring rain accentuated by natural lightning. As though the spirits were weeping with the living at the passing of a titan. She imagined everyone wearing black, and the church bells ringing a sad tune.

Instead it was just another bright, beautiful day. The kind that Ty Lee loved. People walking to and fro, wearing bright colors. Smiles and laughter. Ty Lee never thought she'd be angered by a _smile_.

And just as the spirits had ignored Azula's passing, so had everybody else. Aside from the figures of the Fire Sages, doing their duty and laying a member of the royal family to the rest, only the figure of Azula's brother Zuko stood at the entrance of the catacombs, listening to the sages completing their ancient rites. Everyone else was just enjoying the sunshine. A few of her enemies were probably celebrating.

"Ty Lee." said Zuko, in a low voice, nearly a whisper. "I didn't expect you to be here."

Ty Lee looked up to Zuko, with the same thought in mind. "I..." she trailed off. "I didn't expect you to be here either." she said, in the same low voice as Zuko.

_After she tried to kill you,_ she didn't say.

"She's my sister." he said, slightly louder to compensate for the sages rites increasing in intensity. "I have to be here."

_But you don't,_ he didn't say.

A long silence as the sages completed the ceremony, laying her to rest with honor as though the rest of the world didn't hate her. The whole time Ty Lee thought of saying something, to Zuko, to the room, to anyone, but there was nothing to say. It was hardly even a funeral. The sages didn't stop to let anyone speak for the dead. As soon as they were done, they left. Leaving Zuko and Ty Lee alone in the crypts, with only eachother and the newly-encased body of Azula to keep them company.

"I loved her." said Ty Lee, after a long silence, letting a tear she'd been holding in for the last hour finally roll down her cheek.

Zuko turned his head. "Me too." he said. "I never gave up on her."

"Neither did I." she lowered her head. "I just kept hoping, that one day..."

"She'd come back." Zuko finished her sentence.

Ty Lee sobbed. "And everything would just be okay again."

A silence as they both imagined it one more time.

"People thought I was crazy for giving her a chance." he said. "She tried to kill me. She did all those terrible things. But, I couldn't just give up on her. She was my sister."

The words hung in the air as Ty Lee worked up the courage to speak.

"She cared about me." she said finally. "Just differently. She did mean things to me that everyone remembers, but she also cared. She.." Ty Lee spoke in between sobs, the words pouring out now. "At the academy, she'd fight everyone who was ever mean to me. She'd challenge them to duels. And she'd let me take things home from the palace to show off to my sisters, and every time I'd come over she'd have a bowl full of candied walnuts. She hated candied walnuts. And... she used to stand guard. At the bed, when I had my nightmares." she said, the memories gushing through the floodgates. "She loved me and I loved her back, and I don't care if that makes me crazy."

"I don't think it makes you crazy." said Zuko, putting a hand on her shoulder and letting it slowly run down her back.

Ty Lee shivered. "I just wish things could have been different. I wish there had never been a war and all these fights between us." she said, resting her head against Zuko and letting her tears wet his robes.

"Me too." Zuko embraced Ty Lee. "Me too."


End file.
